Satan’s agenda
The first Babylon was a city in a desert that was located in the same geographic region as the Tower of babel and the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden Satan gained access into the human race through deception. Adam and Eve through their rebellion gave their God-given authority over the earth into the hands of the Devil, whom the Bible calls “the god of this world.” Since that time Satan has been trying to indwell a man and through that man receive worship as God. Down through the centuries Satan has raised up one man after another and sought to control the world of man through that king of ruler. Apart from Judas Iscariot, Satan has been prevented by God from entering into a human being. The restraining force of the Holy Spirit has prevented this from happening, however, just before Jesus comes back the restraining power of the Holy Spirit will be taken away and the man of sin and lawlessness will be revealed to the world. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8)
The “Fullness” of Satan will dwell in the Antichrist
In this man all of the fullness of Satan will dwell in bodily form. He will have a city from which he will rule his empire. John the Apostle told us that the city of Pergamum in Turkey was the place where “Satan has his throne” and the city “where Satan lives.” (Revelation 2:13) Pergamum was the first place where the Roman Emperor Augustus was deified. However, the prophet Daniel tells us that the Antichrist’s ultimate goal is to set up his capital in the temple of God in Jerusalem. As Daniel tells us concerning the Antichrist; “He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”(Daniel 11:45) The beautiful holy mountain is Jerusalem.
A “Hydra with many heads”
Now as we have already seen Ancient Babylon was a “Hydra” with several heads or components. It was a militaristic, socio-economic, political and religious empire all in one. These characteristics were conspicuous features of all of the ancient empires. The main thing connecting them all together was religion through the two main gods or deities of each succeeding empire. It was the same god and goddess they worshipped but with their names changed. There was the crescent male moon god and the female star god. They were a husband and wife originally created in the image of Nimrod and Semiramis.
The “Mother of harlots”
Today, like Babylon of old, Islam is a Hydra with several heads and many components. It is a militaristic, socio-economic, political and religious empire all in one. However, you have Muslim countries that are strictly Sharia Law compliant such as Iran, Iraq, Libya and the Sudan while you have other Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt seen by strict Muslims as compromising with the West. The leading nation today that is seen as a harlot by the strict Muslim countries is Saudi Arabia.
“a harlot and the mother of harlots”
Babylon the Great in Bible prophecy is a city that is called “a harlot and the mother of harlots” because it is the source of all false religions that encompass the earth today. As we have seen in our previous studies the source of all false religion goes all the way back to Nimrod and Semiramis whose image is perpetuated today in the crescent moon and star of Islam. However, the mystery, Babylon the Great, described in the book of Revelation is not describing Ancient Babylon because historically that empire was long gone when the apostle John penned the book of Revelation and besides Ancient Babylon was not near a sea.
A literal city
Many past Biblical scholars majoring on Eschatology have interpreted Mystery, Babylon the Great in different ways as we saw in our first study. Some say it is the City of Rome with the Roman Catholic Church as “the Harlot.” Others have seen Babylon the Great as the world at large under the power of Satan. Some more recently have seen Babylon the Great as the city of New York. Then there are a growing number of other eschatology teachers who are looking afresh at their Bibles and coming to the conclusion that Babylon the Great is the harlot city of Mecca that rides on the back of the Beast Empire of Islam. We know from the Bible that the Beast Empire burns the harlot woman with fire. (Revelation 17:15-18) When we see Babylon the Great described in the Bible there is no doubt that it is describing a literal city and that there is no other city other than Mecca in the heart of Saudi Arabia. Mecca is the most likely candidate for Babylon the Great, “the Mother of harlots” and the source of all of the false religions on the earth. From a Biblical perspective why is the city of Mecca most likely to be Babylon the Great and the mother of harlots? Let’s now turn to the Bible itself for the answer…
1. The City of Mecca is located in a desert by the sea.
The Bible itself tells us that Babylon the Great is a literal city in a literal desert. The original city of Babylon was built in a desert in a plain in Shinar. (Genesis 11:1-2) This city was built by Nimrod the first major type of the Antichrist in the Bible. He ruled over a city that majored on religion. Babylon the Great in the book of Genesis once more appears in the book of Revelation and it too is a literal city if we are to be consistent with the way we understand Biblical prophecy. John was a Hebrew and his revelations were based on the Old Testament. Much of the imagery he describes in the book of Revelation are taken directly from the Old Testament books such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zechariah and some of the minor prophets such as Joel and Amos. What then are we told about this end–time Babylon?
A pattern
We must always keep in mind that the Hebrew way of understanding Bible prophecy is a “pattern” where you have multiple partial fulfilments of similar events all pointing to an ultimate and final fulfilment. When the prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah were describing the city of Babylon and its ultimate demise they were describing a pattern of what would happen to the ultimate Babylon and its final destruction. The description of the fall of Ancient Babylon was a pattern describing the ultimate fall of Babylon the Great, a city to arise again in the future. In describing the fall of Ancient Babylon and its king the prophets were also describing the fall of the last Babylon the Great. This is reflected in Isaiah chapters 13 and 14.
A city in a desert
The Bible then tells us that the last City of Babylon is a city in a desert that will be punished by God for her wickedness as a harlot and the source of all false religion. John describes this vision; “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit to a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.” (Revelation 17:3) Rome is not in a desert neither is New York or the city of Brussels the home of the European Union. None of these cities are in a desert! However, Mecca is. In the context of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 as they describe other aspects of the city of Babylon the Great it can only apply to Mecca.
A ‘wicked woman’
The prophet Zechariah also saw this city that was the mother of harlots. He described it as a wicked woman in a basket being carried to the Land of Shinar which was the original location of Ancient Babylon. She symbolizes the spirit of all false religion. Zechariah saw this; “Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.” I asked, “What is it? ”He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.” Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it. Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.” (Zechariah 5:5-11) Once again it is clear that all false religion including the spirit of Apostasy sweeping the professing Christian Church today has its source in the Babylon of Nimrod. Jezebel with her false prophets deceiving and leading Ahab and the Israelites astray is a major type of what is going on in the Church today. The spirit of Jezebel is at work. The mystery, that is Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots has infested much of western Christianity. The Church of Rome with its false and unbiblical doctrines is only one part of mystery Babylon. All false religions have their source in the Babylon created by Nimrod and Semiramis.
2. The City of Mecca is the “heart” of the Antichrist spirit.
Many fine Bible teachers down through Church history even to the present day have focused on the Roman Catholic Church as being the Harlot of Babylon mentioned in the Bible. Now they were not completely wrong in that the office of the Pontiff itself is Anti-Christ in that the Pope is called “The Vicar of Christ” or in Latin “Vicarious Christos.” However, in Greek it is “Anti-Christos” or literally; “Antichrist.” The word itself in the Greek means “against Christ” and also “In place of Christ.” Every Pope, because of so called “Papal infallibility in matters of doctrine and faith,” sits in the seat of Antichrist in that he takes upon himself a title reserved exclusively. He is a Spirit of truth and not error. He is the one who leads us into all truth we are told in the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church teaches error that is perpetuated by the papal Office to this day. In that sense every Pope is an Antichrist because they support and enforce false and unbiblical teaching in many areas of their doctrines and theology.
Islam and not Rome
However, does the Roman Catholic Church deny the Father and the Son relationship within the Godhead? Do they deny the Tri-unity of God? Is in fact the Roman Catholic Church against Christ? No they are not against Him, at least outwardly. However, Islam, outwardly and radically denies the Father and the Son relationship in the Triune Godhead. They hate Christians because we believe in the Trinity and teach that God begat a Son in His image. This is anathema to Muslims. John the Apostle clearly tells us; “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22)
The worship of a man
Today Mecca with its Black Stone in the Ka’ba is the focus of Muslim worship around the globe. The “image that fell from heaven’ is worshipped and venerated by millions of Muslims today. In virtually every country in the world today Muslims bow down to the image in Mecca when they pray towards Mecca. Like in the time of Nebuchadnezzar they worshiped an image of their false god. Ultimately, Muslims will worship the Mahdi of Islam who will demand to be worshipped as God. Muslims say that the worship of a man is forbidden in Islam yet when you look at the titles given to Mohammed in Islam many of them could only apply to one who is divine in nature. It is believed by Muslims the world over that the Mahdi will have the spirit of Mohammed, however, the Mahdi will be in reality the incarnation of Satan, He will be the man of sin who will sit in God’s Temple to proclaim himself God and demand to be worshipped. Once Mecca is destroyed the Muslims will be forced to worship a man. Right now for millions of Muslims around the world they already worship the image of the beast empire when they bow down towards Mecca. The historical roots of Mecca that once housed 360 Arabian gods including Allah the moon-god trace their religious practices all the way back to Nimrod and Semiramis. (We have dealt with this in our previous study)
Edom is still around
The descendants of Ishmael and Esau (Edom) still persecute the people of God both Jew and Christian today. No other enemy of Israel has a history like that of Edom. The enmity and animosity of the Arab world towards the Jewish people has existed for centuries. The religion itself that denies the Tri-unity of the Godhead goes all the way back to the Tower of Babel and Nimrod, the first major type of the Antichrist mentioned in the Bible. They hate Christians and Jews “the people of the book.” They call us “monkeys and pigs.” No wonder the Bible speaks a great deal about the fall of Babylon the Great. Every false religion today can be traced back in some way to Nimrod and Semiramis. Indeed Mecca today stands as a sentinel of the spirit of Antichrist. Islam denies Christ, hates Christ and is against Christ! She is the Mother of all harlots as she has given birth to every false religion and cult on the face of the earth. They all trace their roots back to Nimrod himself. When you see the Clock Tower with its crescent moon symbol at the top of the tower rising above the Ka’ba it looks exactly like another Tower of babel. It is actually called Mt Babel!
3. The City of Mecca is to be destroyed by fire
According to God’s Word the Bible the beast empire destroys the harlot with fire. (Revelation 17:16-17) She has been riding on its back and it has “bucked her off and had her for breakfast!” She has become “toast!” The woman was connected to the beast. Look at what the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 13 concerning the destruction of Babylon. Its context is the Day of the Lord, a clear reference to the last days. In this prophecy Isaiah predicts that Persia will destroy Babylon to the point where “no Arab will pitch his tent.” (Vs 20) Arabs live in Saudi Arabia. Do they pitch their tents in Rome or in Europe or in New York? So bad will the destruction be that only the desert creatures will live there. It will be uninhabited by humans. Notice that Persia is the instrument of Babylon’s demise. (Vs 17) In Isaiah 21 we see the same scenario where it says; “A prophecy against the desert by the sea” and goes on to describe the destruction of Babylon by Persia. It says; “Elam, attack! Media lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she has caused.” (Isaiah 21: 2) Elam is today Iran. Media today is Hamadan, a province located within Iran and the capital of the Ancient Medes who were aligned with the Persians. This prophecy is to have its ultimate fulfilment in the future. Iran will destroy the city in the desert by the sea. In the prophecy Dedan, and Arabia are mentioned. All of them are located in Saudi Arabia. The original city of Ancient Babylon was located in a desert but not by the sea.
Babylon was never destroyed
Furthermore, the original Babylon located in modern day Iraq was never destroyed but overthrown. The Medo-Persians occupied the city and then after the Greeks defeated the Medo-Persian Empire Alexander the Great made it his capital. Over the centuries it atrophied but was never destroyed. Remember that Saddam Hussein even tried to rebuild the city of Babylon when he was alive. However, it is Persia that devastates Babylon and makes it uninhabitable. This prophecy has a future fulfilment. How could this be? It never happened historically. Yet Isaiah tells us it will be like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Vs 19) Sodom and Gommorah were destroyed by fire out of the heavens! Babylon was never destroyed by fire.
Iran’s role
Today Persia of course is Iran. The western nations are worried about Iran’s nuclear programme. Saudi Arabia is worried that Iran will one day use a nuclear device to destroy it. The Saudi’s no longer feel they have the full support of the west. The Sharia compliant country of Iran hates Saudi Arabia as they see it as a harlot that has compromised Islam by its associations with the western nations through its oil, “the wine that has intoxicated the western nations.” Elsewhere Isaiah tells us that Saudi Arabia will be burned with fire and to the point where the oil fields will burn making the land uninhabitable to humans. The context again is the Day of the Lord. Edom is the land mentioned. Today Edom is Southern Jordan but also encompasses Saudi Arabia. In Ezekiel chapter 25 we are told that Edom stretches from Teman to Dedan. Teman is in Yemen, while Dedan was an ancient city in central Saudi Arabia that is now known as Al-Ula. The land mass between Teman (Yemen) and Dedan (in the heart of Saudi Arabia) covers a hugh area. It is the home of the Arab world and of course Mecca itself is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth today through its oil exports and its imports all via the sea.
Saudi Arabia will burn
Here is what Isaiah says about God’s judgement on Edom; “For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause. Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulphur; her land will become blazing pitch! It will not be quenched night or day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also lie down and find for themselves places of rest. The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather each with its mate.” (Isaiah 34:8-14)
Burning oil fields
The only weapon that could produce this kind of Aftermath would have to be the detonation of a nuclear weapon. In Revelation chapters 17 & 18 we see the shipmasters that have traded with the city staying afar off and watching the great city burn and also being terrified of its destruction due to the risk of nuclear fallout. The whole of the Arabian Peninsula will be covered with a cloud of nuclear dust added to this would be the smoke from burning oil fields. Mecca of course is in Saudi Arabia. Jeremiah the prophet also said this about the destruction of Edom; “Bozrah (Southern Jordan) will become a ruin and an object of horror, of reproach and of cursing; and all of its towns will be in ruins forever….Edom (Southern Jordan and Saudi Arabia) will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighbouring towns,” says the LORD, “so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it.” (Jeremiah 49:13, 17-18) Again, notice the reference to Sodom and Gomorrah. Both of these cities and their neighbouring towns were destroyed by fire from heaven that fell upon those cities on the plain. The Saudi Arabian oil fields will burn out of control to the point where the land will be uninhabitable for humans. “Her nobles (Oil Sheiks) “will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away.” No wander the ship masters wail and mourn afar off as they watch this city burn and their means of their livelihood destroyed. (Revelation 18:9-17)
4. The City of Mecca has been attacked by Islamic forces in past centuries.
Now some would say; “Islamic forces would never destroy Mecca” however, Islamic forces have attacked Mecca in the past. Plenty of Muslims have attacked the city before. In the late 7th Century, Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef Al-Thaqafi (a Muslim) laid siege to Mecca and destroyed much of the Ka’ba with stones launched from catapults. During the First World War, Saudi Arabia was actually occupied by the Turkish Ottomans. The Turks deeply resented Arab imperialism that had spread through the vast Islamic empire and made strong attempts to restrict Arab culture and language throughout their empire. This enmity and resistance was so severe that the Arabs were persuaded by the British through their envoy, T. E. Lawrence, also known as “Lawrence of Arabia,” to revolt against the Ottoman occupation and help the allies.
A disregard for Mecca
The Turks bombarded the mosque of the Ka’ba, the most sacred shrine of all Islam. One shell actually hit the Ka’ba, burning a hole in the “holy carpet” and killing nine Arabs who were kneeling in prayer. In modern times, the same disregard for Mecca by Muslims has been seen. On November 20, 1979, over 500 militants and their leader attacked the false Islamic Mahdi, Juhaiman ibn Muhammad ibn Saif al Utaiba.7 In the 1980’s, on several occasions, followers of Ayatollah Khomeini disrupted the annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of this was quelled by heavy security controls, but in July 1987, over 400 people died as a result of a serious riot instigated by thousands of Iranian pilgrims.
The Gulf War
Three years later, during Gulf War I, Saddam Hussein sent numerous scuds flying over Saudi Arabia, disregarding the high risk they would pose to the Islamic “holy land.” There were no protests from Muslim nations. And as recent as 2003, three al-Qaeda militants blew themselves up during an attack in Mecca. The idea of Muslims attacking Mecca or Saudi Arabia is far from impossible. The day is drawing near when the emerging Beast Empire led by Turkey and Iran will attack Mecca and destroy the Arabian Harlot.”
“Fire out of Heaven”
So then the only city located in a desert by the sea in Saudi Arabia (Ancient Edom) is Mecca, a city destined to be destroyed by “fire out of heaven” as it were. Mecca is situated by the Red Sea. Jeremiah the prophet said that its destruction would be heard at the Red Sea; “Therefore hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what He has purposed against those who live in Teman… At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.” (Jeremiah 49:20, 21) Teman is in Saudi Arabia.
The LORD’S Vengeance
While Mecca will be destroyed by fire it will be Israel that will finally destroy Islam. Ezekiel God’s prophet said this would be so. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill both man and beast. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” (Ezekiel 25 12-14) Teman to Dedan encompasses Saudi Arabia. Teman is actually in Yemen, while Dedan was an ancient city in central Saudi Arabia. Because Ezekiel mentions Teman to Dedan it would be describing the entire landmass stretching southward along the Red Sea and well into central Saudi Arabia.
5. The Messiah of Israel will destroy Islam forever!
Iran will destroy Mecca, however, Israel, under its commander and Chief Yeshua Meshach will deliver the death stroke to Islam (Edom) at Bozrah. As the prophet Isaiah tells us; “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with His garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendour, striding forward in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.” Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My wrath; their blood spattered My garments, and I stained all My clothing. It was for Me the day of vengeance; the year for Me to redeem had come. I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm achieved salvation for Me, and My own wrath sustained me. I trampled the nations in My anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.” (Isaiah 63:1-6)
His name is the Word of God
John the Apostle describes the same event when he said; “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With Justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but He himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron sceptre.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in mid-air, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-19)
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon!”
When our Lord Jesus comes back He will be the warrior Messiah in the character of Gideon. What Gideon did to the Midianites the Lord Jesus will do to Islam. Bozrah is in Southern Jordan and the gateway to Saudi Arabia. The Messiah is seen there doing battle with the beast empire of Islam. In its context the forces being overthrown by the Lord Jesus and His forces is the beast empire of the Antichrist and the armies of the nations. It is not a European confederation but a Middle Eastern confederation. The nations involved in this conflict are named in Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39 and they are all Islamic nations today. When the armies of those nations and others with them fall on the mountains of Israel Iran’s army will also be amongst them. The Beast will destroy the woman riding it with fire but the Messiah will destroy the Beast! Indeed in that day it will be said; “Fallen, Fallen is Babylon! ”
