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News From Israel MagazineIraq, Babylon & Mystery Babylon
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. 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. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple (Jeremiah 51:1-11).
Globalism
We must not make the mistake of geographically limiting Babylon to the ancient Babylonian territory or even to today’s internationally recognized borders of Iraq. Babylon is global. In his testimony, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar confirmed Daniel’s words: “It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth” (Daniel 4:22).
Some may point out that the Babylonian kingdom was limited geographically, in that it didn’t include Europe and it barely touched Africa and Asia. Babylon was primarily a territory that we refer to today as the Middle East. That, however, is a shortsighted interpretation. We are dealing with the Word of God and when we read the phrase, “to the end of the earth,” we can know that is exactly what it means. The other nations are not mentioned simply because they do not matter.
We must also realize that this is a spiritual battle between truth and lies, light and darkness, good and evil. The spirit or demons that have ruled Babylon are the same ones that have ruled the entire world since then. So, it is naïve to think that “the end of the earth” applies only to the world known at that time.
Furthermore, verse 25 states: “which destroyeth all the earth,” speaking of Babylon, defined as the “destroying mountain.” Jeremiah 51:26 reveals, “thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the Lord.” That describes the end of literal Babylon. The city was indeed destroyed and ruins that remain are only of interest to historians and archaeologists. This is confirmed in verses 36-37: “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.”
Why Judgment upon Babylon?
“As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind” (Jeremiah 51:49-50). In contrast to Babylon — and, we might appropriately say, in contrast to the whole world — there is Jerusalem, the city chosen by God. The greatest event in human history took place outside of these gates: Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh, was nailed to the cross and died after crying out: “It is finished.” Regardless of how pious we may try to sound, Jerusalem is still despised and rejected by the world, but God has chosen Jerusalem. Here we see a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, the precious Cornerstone who was rejected by His own people.
Psalm 2
Psalm 2 identifies the nations as being against the Lord and His anointed: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:1-3). The word “heathen” stands in contrast to Israel. Furthermore, the kings of the earth are not only the Arab enemies around Israel, but they include the entire world.
What causes their rage? Verse 3 answers with two words: bands and cords. Those are the moral laws that God gave to the heathen regarding their civil behavior.
For example, the Ten Commandments were given specifically to the people of Israel, but they apply to the entire world. We know this because not a single government encourages children to disobey their parents, pardons murder, or excuses stealing, lying or adultery. These “bands” and “cords” are the fundamentals.
This world is ruled by the devil, who has a legal right to every person on earth. What is the basis for this legal right? Sin. The Bible states that those who sin are of the devil and are therefore subject to him. But the devil cannot go beyond the limits God has set for him; otherwise, it would literally be hell on earth.
This idea is one of the most difficult to convey to Christians who serve the spirit of nationalism and try desperately to dig up evidence that proves their country is the best and that it pleases God, but it simply is not, because all nations belong to the devil.
I must emphasize, however, that the “bands” and “cords” — the eternal law of God for all people — limit him as well.
Psalm 2 in the New Testament
The crucifixion of Christ took place in Israel. The Jews of Jerusalem vehemently opposed Jesus and initiated His arrest and condemnation, which led to His crucifixion. Does that mean the rest of the world has no relationship to it? That theology has been preached by Churchianity for the last 2,000 years. That is why it has been so easy to persecute the Jews for almost two millennia. That persecution led to the greatest slaughter of all time: the Holocaust. Let’s carefully read what the Bible says about the collective guilt for the death of Jesus Christ: “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together” (Acts 4:26-27).
Jewish believers in Jerusalem mentioned Psalm 2 in their prayer, although the rulers of the world had nothing to do with Jesus. Doubtless, the overwhelming majority of the world’s population at that time had no idea what was happening, but Scripture is clear when it lists the parties responsible: King Herod, a half-Jew; Pontius Pilate, procurator of Roman government; the Gentiles (the whole world); and the people of Israel. Thus, we see the same spirit and demons that opposed Israel’s return to Jerusalem during the time of Babylon are the same ones who incited the Roman authorities and the Jews to crucify Jesus. These nations are still the same; man will not improve himself and become sinless, but will become worse and worse.
God’s Reaction
How does God react to the rebellion of the Gentile world? “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:4-6). God laughs! He laughs at the “giants” of this world. That should be a great encouragement to believers. We don’t need to worry about or be afraid of the things that are coming upon this world because we are secure in Him for all of eternity.
What is God’s reaction regarding the rage of the heathen? “I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” Zionism is God’s answer to the world’s rebellion.
Judgment from Jerusalem
We learned in Jeremiah 51:50 that Jerusalem is the key: “let Jerusalem come into your mind.” Again, we must remember that this is not a local business or a national entity; we are speaking about God, the Creator of the universe. Located on this little planet is the city of Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jewish people. We have no idea of the activity that takes place in the invisible world, but we can sense it over and again when we hear the blasphemy of the Gentiles, who lift themselves up in arrogant pride against God’s people and land.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
Zechariah was another prophet through whom God spoke, especially about Jerusalem, in contrast to the Gentile nation:
Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased,and they helped forward the affliction. Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem (Zechariah 1:12-17).
Once again, this literally refers to Jerusalem and this prophecy was fulfilled after “these threescore and ten years.” King Cyrus of Persia initiated the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Jewish captives to their city. This prophecy is not limited to this historic event, but remains valid even today.
Who can deny these words? “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great jealousy” (Zechariah 1:14). Who can deny that the Lord is “sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease?” (verse 15a). Who can deny that the heathen have “helped towards the affliction?” (verse 15b).
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is a mentality that existed even as recently as 1948 when a downtrodden remnant of Jewish people, particularly from Russia, had escaped from Europe and established their nation on May 14, 1948. Not one nation came alongside the new nation. These Jews were isolated from the other nations of the world. Although many had sympathy for and even recognized the newly found state of Israel, no one lifted a finger to help the Jews. The United States did nothing but implement an arms embargo against Israel. The Europeans did likewise. It is ironic that the only nation that did assist Israel in its struggle during the first few months of its existence was communist Czechoslovakia. The Czechs sold the Jews weapon remnants from World War II, including several planes that are considered today to be the foundation of Israel’s prestigious Air Force.
The nations have most certainly “helped towards the affliction.” But the Scriptures we read are very comforting; they are “good words and comfortable words…I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies… The Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem.”
Furthermore, Zechariah 8:2-3 states: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.” These words were written 519 years before the birth of Christ and were directed towards the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish people; however, they are just as effective today and address the entire world.
What will happen in the future? “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zechariah 12:2-3). This prophecy includes “all the people round about,” which describes the Arabs and “all the people of the earth.” This is not an isolated event or a geographical area such as Babylon, the first Gentile superpower; this is a global event. God will bring about the final confrontation between Jerusalem and the world, light and darkness, truth and lies, good and evil. What will be the result? The destruction of the world: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9). And then will come the salvation of Israel: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (verse 10).
Another Example: The Global Image
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, His 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).
This is a picture of the rebellious world existing between the time of Babylon and endtime Mystery Babylon. We stress the fact that this is not a local situation; as we have just read, the “great mountain…filled the whole earth.” The destruction of iron, clay, brass, silver and gold are “broken to pieces together.” In other words, they are one. The gold represents the Babylonian kingdom, as noted in verse 38: “Thou art this head of gold.” Only a short description is given of the next two kingdoms: “And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth” (Daniel 2:39).
And we read the following about the last kingdom: “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise” (verse 40). This prophecy extends into our days. Daniel 2:44 documents: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
Therefore, the spirit of the Gentile kingdoms — from Babylon to Persia and from Greece to Rome — continues to exist until this day. Together they will find their end when the stone cut out without hands; that is, without any human interference, rules the world from Jerusalem: “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:45).
Babylon Destroyed
Babylon experienced God’s judgment, just as recorded by the prophet Jeremiah. Babylon ceased to exist, thus fulfilling the last three verses of Jeremiah 51:
Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it,and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her:and they shall be weary.Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
Mystery Babylon
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabi-tants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:1-5).
There is no need to identify this prophecy with a certain city or country, because again this speaks of planet Earth. Note the words: “the kings of the earth,” “the inhabitants of the earth,” and “abominations of the earth.” We are dealing with a subject that relates to all people of all times. The only exception is Israel and, through Israel, the Church of Jesus Christ. Those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb become untouchable to the powers of darkness. Mystery Babylon has been rendered ineffective against this group of people. That doesn’t mean Israel automatically will be sanctified and become untouchable by the enemy. That does not correspond to the collective prophecies contained in Scripture. Jesus Himself clearly stated: “I come in my Father’s name and you received me not. If another one comes in his own name, him ye shall receive” (need Scripture reference). In other words, Israel as a nation will accept the Antichrist’s rulership.
According to my understanding of the prophetic Word, Israel represents the clay Daniel referred to in the following passage:
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as
iron is not mixed with clay (Daniel 2:40-43).
A foreign component is clearly mixed within the Gentile nations. We have already seen that the iron represents Rome, the fourth and final empire. The brass represents the Grecian Empire, the silver represents the Media-Persian Empire and the gold represents the Babylonian Empire. Here we see a foreign element mixed within these four Gentile power structures. I believe that the clay represents the Jewish people because of what is written in verse 43: “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men.” This seems to refer to the nations of the world from which God has separated Israel. Moses ordered the children of Israel not to mingle with the nations, but to execute total judgment upon the Gentiles’ nations whose land they would take possession.
The story of Jericho in the book of Joshua relates that a prostitute and her family were saved while everyone else perished. God did not order Israel to preach the Gospel of repentance or tell the people about the God of Israel. Nor was Israel to give them a chance to obey the Ten Commandments. There was only one way to convey His message: total destruction. This was necessary so Israel would be preserved as the chosen nation. But that doesn’t change the individual’s position before God. The judgment applies to Israel and the heathen. Nevertheless, God has a separate plan for Israel, which includes special promises that He will fulfill in its finest detail.
Although each Jew comes under the same judgment as each Gentile, there is a tremendous difference between Israel and any of the Gentile nations. The prophet Zechariah proclaimed: “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8). We all know how sensitive an organ the eye is; even the smallest speck of dust can be extremely painful if it gets in your eye. Therefore it is very dangerous to judge the Jewish people in any manner, shape or form because that is God’s task; that is the process of His segregation based on His divine resolution.
“Salvation is of the Jews” is a biblical phrase that must be taken seriously so we understand the difference between Israel and the Gentiles.
...to be continued