“Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.” (Isaiah 21:1-2)
The Arab nations located on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula are worried. Since Biden was elected the Arab nations that have dealt with America in the past economically are having a reality check in light of Biden now seeking to re-negotiate the Iranian nuclear deal brokered by Obama back in 2015, a deal that the European Union also want to see happen. There is no doubt that that the Mullahs in Tehran and their proxies in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon have increased their terrorist attacks in the Middle-East. The Arab leaders, especially the Saudis, recognize that Biden has a weak approach to Iran and the Arab leaders know who is really ‘calling the shots’ in this scenario and it most certainly isn’t the Biden Administration.
There is no doubt that the Saudis particularly know that the Iranian regime is threatening whatever precarious stability exists in the Middle-East. They are almost begging the Biden Administration not to back down on the Iranian threats. Such messages show that the moderate Arab nations share Israel’s concern over US and European efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. It is, frankly, the last thing these Arab nations want to see happen. They know it will only lead to war and set back the region more years than one would care to count.
Now Saudi Arabia is the main player in its economic relations with America. It did not join the Abraham Accord waiting in the wings as it were to see if Donald Trump would be re-elected. In the Abraham Accord set up in 2020 Israel signed agreements establishing diplomatic relations with four Arab League countries, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco. As far as the radical fundamentalist Islamic regime of Iran these Arab league states are betraying Islam. Mecca of course is the heart of the Islamic world with its black stone housed in the Kaaba situated beneath the Hugh clock tower which is called “Mt Babel” At the top of this tower at its pinnacle is the emblem of the crescent moon, the symbol of Islam.
Mecca is seen by fundamentalist Muslims as “the harlot of Islam” because of its oil deals and economic ties with the United States and the European Union. A Saudi columnist, Hella Al-Mashouh, has also criticized the Biden administration’s soft approach toward Iran. She specifically criticized the Biden administration’s recent decision to revoke designation of Yemen’s Houthi militia as a terrorist group. The decision reversed actions taken by the former US administration of President Donald Trump regarding the Iran-backed militia.
Commenting on the decision, Al-Mashouh wrote: “Today, we are facing an imminent Iranian threat and a lenient American administration policy toward this danger. We will face this Iranian threat over the next four years. The question that arises here: Who benefits from this Iranian terrorism and tampering with the region? Syria is devastated, and Hezbollah is dominating Lebanon, which is collapsing economically, politically and socially. Iraq is being flooded with weapons and militias of Iranian terrorism. The Houthis and Al Qaeda are tampering with a disintegrated and ravaged Yemen. So what next? Who will deal with the head of the snake?”
Now Isaiah the prophet writes about the fall of Babylon in Isaiah Chapter 21. Historically the nation of Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian Empire but the City itself was not destroyed at that time. This prophecy of Isaiah also telescopes into the future where we see the City of Babylon destroyed, a theme picked up by Isaiah, Jeremiah and also by the Apostle John. Now the original city of Babylon itself was located on the banks of the Euphrates River in modern day Iraq. This city in the desert was never destroyed but physically atrophied over the centuries. Even Alexander the Great who defeated the Persian Empire lived in the city of Babylon for some time.
The City of Babylon was an ancient empire which was first established by Nimrod in the Book of Genesis. (Genesis 10:10) It was the source of all false religions we have seen down through history in every other nation. The Babylon of Nimrod was “the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” She is the mother of harlots because she has given birth to other harlots. These ‘religions’ are an affront to God. Nimrod himself “grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth and a mighty hunter before the Lord.” (Genesis 10:8-9) The original Hebrew test says that Nimrod “was a mighty hunter in the face of God.” In other words he was a rebel. It has been said that he deliberately built the Tower of Babel to take vengeance against God because of the flood God had sent in the time of Noah. Nimrod also built the original city of Nineveh. In Bible prophecy the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar and the King of Assyria Sennacherib are major types of the future Antichrist predicted by Isaiah and Micah. (Isaiah 14:4, 9-12) (Micah 5:5b)
Mecca, the home and heart of Islam, has its religious roots going all the way back to Nimrod’s Babylon. It is a harlot city in a desert. (Revelation 17:3) This corresponds with (Isaiah 21:1). The original site of Ancient Babylon of course was not located by the sea even though it was located in a desert. We are told in the Bible that the future destruction of the city of Babylon is heard at the Red Sea. As Jeremiah writes; “Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Edom and the strategies He has devised against the people of Teman: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them. At the sound of their fall the earth will quake; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.” (Jeremiah 49:20-22) The geographical region of Ancient Edom was not where Ancient Babylon was located. Ancient Babylon was located on the banks of the River Euphrates in modern day Iraq. The Babylon related to Bible prophecy is located near the Red sea in the geographical region of Saudi Arabia. Mecca trades by the Red Sea today.
In the Bible geographically Edom sweeps from southern Jordan down into Saudi Arabia. Teman itself was located in Saudi Arabia. (Ezekiel 25:12-13) Of course today Saudi Arabia with its main city of Mecca as mentioned is a city in the desert by the Red Sea. It is the heart of the Islamic world. Now according to Isaiah 21:1-2 we are told that the prophecy concerns the future destruction of the city of Babylon and that it will come from Iran which historically was the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians which overthrew the Ancient Empire of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon but at that time the city of Babylon itself was not destroyed. According to this prophecy in Isaiah we see described the actual destruction of the City of Babylon, a city in a desert by the Sea that becomes “toast!”
The invader comes up our of the desert region from a land of terror which today aptly fits Iran, a regime of terrorists and terrorism all over the Middle-east, a terrorism also directed at Saudi Arabia through the Houthi rebels in Yemen financed by Iran. The Iranian regime is already fighting a proxy war with the Saudis.“The traitor betrays their own.” When Jihad minded Muslims are not fighting a common enemy they go to fighting among themselves. Historically there have been other times when fundamentalist Muslims have attacked Mecca. According to this prophecy the city of Babylon located in the desert by the Sea, would have to be Mecca, “the harlot that rides the beast empire of Islam.” One of the nations of the beast empire of Islam, being Iran, will buck and throw the harlot city off of its back and burn it with fire and that at God’s ordaining. (Revelation 17:15-18)
The burning of “the city of Babylon” will cause those that traded with her by land and by Sea, to stand afar off and weep and lament at her burning because they can no longer do business with this harlot city. This will be due to the fallout. (Revelation 18: 11-19) We are even told in scripture that the oil reserves under the desert of Arabia will burn out of control, hence the geographical land mass will be uninhabitable by humans. (Isaiah 34:8-10) No wonder the sea merchants stand afar off when observing its burning. Within one hour it will all burn, so suddenly with the missiles hit Mecca. (Revelation 18:17-19) It is God’s judgement on the Harlot City of Babylon for the way she has treated God’s people, both Jews and faithful Christians. (Revelation 18:20)
We are also told in the Book of Revelation that “The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.” (Revelation 16:6) Today in Saudi Arabia Christians are persecuted imprisoned and beheaded. The media is silent about this but God sees it and has already ordained that this city be destroyed at that at the hands of its own, “the traitor betrays, the looter takes loot” The geographical location of ancient Elam, the aggressor described in this prophecy, was located geographically in modern day Iran. The Elamites were well known for their prowess in archery as the Iranian regime is well known for launching missiles.
When we see the militancy of Iran ‘upping the ante’ on its terrorist activities throughout the Middle-East we can see why the Arab nations on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula are seeking an alliance with Israel. The Israelis know full well what the Iranians are up to even if Biden chooses to ignore the immediate threat, not only to the Middle-East but also to Europe and the United States. While the harlot city will be hit with missiles Islam will still be around and at that time we may well see the revealing of the Islamic Antichrist, the long awaited 12th Mahdi and the supreme caliph of Islam who will lead a Jihad unlike anything else in past history. It will be a time of great Tribulation.
However, when the Messiah returns He will take the fight to Islam. We see this in two passages of scripture which match up and fit together as a hand fits into a glove. In Isaiah 63:1-6 we have a description of the Messiah coming up from Edom from Bozrah, the gateway in Southern Jordan to Saudi Arabia. the heart of the Islamic world. The Messiah’s enemies are crushed in the winepress of His wrath and His garments are stained with the blood of His enemies. Then in Revelation 19:11-21 we see the Messiah returning in great power and glory to overthrow and destroy all of His enemies in the winepress of the wrath of God and also we see that His garments are also stained with blood. This is the one and the same end-time battle described in both the books of Isaiah and Revelation.
After the dust of the battle has settled the beast empire, its overlord and the false prophet, are all cast alive into the lake of fire and their armies destroyed to join them there. When comparing the two Bible passages in Isaiah and Revelation it is clear that the beast empire and the false prophet are Islamic. Ezekiel the prophet tells us that the armies of the nations of the beast empire that go down into the pit of Hades that are specifically named are all Islamic nations today. (Ezekiel 32:17-32)
Yes the Antichrist will come, the image of himself and of his empire will come, the mark of his caliphate will come and his firepower will challenge the nations and many faithful believers in the Lord Jesus will be martyred. Our only hope in this world as believers is the Second Coming of the Messiah our Lord Jesus, who will deliver Israel, rescue His saints, destroy all opposition and inaugurate His Messianic Kingdom on earth for a thousand years of peace. (Daniel 2:32-35, 44-45) (Revelation 20:1-6)
In light of these end-times the Lord Jesus says to us as He said through the apostle John; “Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12) and we also need to read the next verse which says; “And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labours, for their deeds will follow them.”(Revelation 14:13)
