Chapter 3 (continued)

The DESCRIPTION of “The Daughter of Babylon”

Part 2

Isaiah chapter 18:

 

No actual reference to “Babylon” or the “daughter of Babylon” is made in Isaiah chapter 18.  However, there are striking verbal descriptions that apparently apply to an end-time nation that sounds remarkably like America.  These descriptions obviously apply to some great unnamed nation.  You be the judge who the prophet was describing.

 

37.      SHADOWING WITH WINGS: 

“Woe to the land       shadowing with wings.” (verse 1)  Is this a reference to the land whose national insignia is an eagle?  Could be.  But more likely it is referring to a land whose skies are filled with aircraft. 

 

In the Hebrew language the word “shadowing” is actually translated “quivering”, “rattling” or “vibrating.”  Speak to anyone who lives under the flight pattern of large commercial or military jets coming and going and ask them if their house ever vibrates or rattles.  If their house doesn’t rattle, their nerves probably do!  No other nation on earth has the incredible amount of commercial air traffic as the United States.

 

I am an outdoorsman, and I can tell you that the peaceful silence of the Rocky Mountain wilderness is broken by the sounds of jet aircraft.  This is not a “once in a while” disturbance in the high country but can be heard frequently throughout the day.

 

38.      WEST OF JERUSALEM:  Verse one of Isaiah chapter 18 even pinpoints the location of the end-nation destined for judgment and destruction – “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia . . . “

 

God is describing a nation that is located to the west beyond Ethiopia.  Ancient Babylon was east of Jerusalem, but this end-time nation is to the west, “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia”.  The Hebrew word “beyond” is better translated “over beyond.”  What a remarkable prophetic description!

 

39.      MANY AMBASSADORS:  “That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters . . . “ (verse2)  Whoever this end-time nation is, it will be a nation that dispatches ambassadors and peacemakers all over the world.

 

There should be little doubt which nation is the present world’s “peacemaker.”  Somehow, it seems like we become embroiled in every conflict everywhere.

 

40.      A SCATTERED NATION: 

“Go ye swift messengers to a nation scattered . . . “ (verse 2)  “Scattered” can be translated “planted and developed.”  This reference is to a country with great agricultural production, not to a country that is primarily a desert wasteland like so much of the Middle East and Iraq.

 

41.      “DON’T TREAD ON ME!”  “ . . . to a people terrible  from their beginning . . . “ (verse 2)   In this passage, the prophet was describing a people that are to be feared or respected.  In the world’s vernacular – The people of this end-time nation will be a people “not to mess around with!” 

 

The military might and expertise of America has been displayed several times in Middle East conflicts.  No nation on earth wants to go to battle against the well trained and well equipped American military forces.  Nations that attacked our country during WW2 will also attest to the fact that American forces are for real.

 

42.      A NATION MEASURED:  “ . . . a nation measured out and trampled down . . . “ (verse 2)  Measured out is thought by many to refer to a land that is plotted and mapped.  The entire country is on detailed maps that show topographical elevations, private and public lands, buildings, governmental lands and easements, and the list goes on and on.  Totally mapped . . . a good description of our land!

 

Dr. E.F. Webber commented on this in his book America in Prophecy –

 

“A nation meted out and trodden down.”  Or as it could be interpreted, “A land measured under foot.”  We learn from early history that at about the time Florida and Ohio were taken into the United States, a law was passed making it

mandatory that all public land be surveyed by the North Star and divided into square mile sections, then subdivided into quarter sections, a half mile square, the size of a homestead.  We were the first country ever to survey and divide the land according to the ranges with the North Star, and all our land from the western edge of Pennsylvania to the Pacific Ocean, and from Canada to Mexico, has been surveyed by lines of measurements, then staked out in quarter sections after this law of General Surveys had been passed.  Now the prophet wrote about this twenty-seven hundred years ago, more than two  thousand years before America was even discovered by Columbus.  The prophet told about the fact that our land would be surveyed into sections whose lines point due north and south, east and west.”

 

43.      A NATION TRAMPLED DOWN:  “ . . . a nation measured out and trampled down . . . “ (verse 2)  This undoubtedly refers to a land of many roads and highways.  The interstate road system developed in the last 50 years began as a national defense network so that we could move troops to any spot in the nation including Alaska.  The first stretch of “National Defense Highway” was Interstate 70 in western Kansas and was named for then president Dwight Eisenhower.  No other nation on earth has the roads and highways of our beloved land.

 

 

44.  MANY RIVERS:     “ . . . whose    land   the   rivers   have

spoiled . . . “ (verse 2)  Some Bible scholars understand this to mean polluted rivers.  Others believe that this is referring to a land which has become prosperous because of large rivers and the ability to transport goods on the nation’s waterways.

 

Actually, both definitions may apply because the rivers that make America rich (such as the mighty Mississippi) are polluted in part because of the commercial traffic of countless barges and ships.

 

The  mere  existence  of  many  rivers leads us to the conclusion that the prophet was not referring to a vast desert wasteland such as modern day Iraq, the land of ancient Babylon.  End-time Babylon will be a land characterized by rivers filled with commercial traffic.

 

Isaiah chapter 47:

 

Isaiah chapter 47 is ripe with many descriptions of “the virgin daughter of Babylon.”  The prophet begins the chapter – “Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon . . . ”  There is no question as to whom this is directed -- a young end-time descendent of ancient Babylon.

 

45.      A CALL FOR NATIONAL REPENTANCE:  God calls out to the “virgin daughter of Babylon.” (verse 1)  This is a call to repentance very similar to Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together saith the LORD, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool“.  The “virgin daughter” is probably an appeal to a nation that has experienced the Lord’s protective care just as a father would protect and preserve the purity of his daughter.  No one can doubt that the Lord Himself has protected and preserved our great land.  The appeal to sit down in “dust” upon the “ground” is an obvious plea for national repentance.

 

46.      INNOCENCE LOST:  “. . . thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate” (verse1) is an indictment against a nation who was once young and innocent and has now turned to sin and debauchery.  Those of us who love our great land, and know what it stood for in its inception, are brokenhearted to see her abandon her Godly foundation and roots.

 

47.      NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT: “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen . . . “ (verse 3)  The purity of our land has been polluted by ungodly, dishonest and immoral leaders and representatives. 

 

The Lord is allowing all of our “dirty laundry” to be exposed to the world.  A case in point was our recent president, Bill Clinton, and his sexual misconduct.  The world jeers about the corruption of this so called “Christian nation.”

 

Recent scandals regarding our handling and holding of terrorists and prisoners of war are also big news to a world that loves to condemn the “ugly Americans.”  The tragedy is that these stories, whether true, false or exaggerated, come forth from the liberal American media with great glee and gloating.

 

48.      TARNISHED TESTIMONY:  “ . . . for thou shalt no more be called the lady of kingdoms . . .” (verse 5)  The testimony of moral integrity and purity will have become greatly blemished in end-time Babylon.  America has become despised abroad, and often it is with good reason.  Is that not a great tragedy? 

 

Some have gone so far as to suggest that this reference to “the lady of kingdoms” could be speaking of our nation as depicted by our Statue of Liberty.  Perhaps this is so, but  I would personally hesitate to make this direct connection.

 

49.      SELF-CONFIDENT:  “And thou hast said, I shall be a lady forever, so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.” (verse 7)  End-time Babylon will be confident that her dress will never be wrinkled and that she cannot be brought down.  As a nation, we are confident that we can handle anything that comes our way by pure determination and the American spirit.  Such over-confidence is dangerous, especially since our confidence is no longer in the Lord Who has preserved and blessed us in the past.                              

 

50. FUN CAPITAL OF THE WORLD:

This description of end-time Babylon certainly fits the American life style – “thou are given to pleasures.” (verse 8) 

 

No other nation on earth spends so much time, effort and money to be entertained.     We are raising an entire generation of children who insist on the latest, most exciting and violent entertainment and video games.  But, the fact is, their parents are no different.  Fun and games reign!

 

Speaking of entertainment, restaurant chains have learned long ago, that if you want to sell burger in America, you have to provide a fun atmosphere.  That is not a criticism, just an observation of the way things are in the entertainment capitol of the world.

 

51.      SAFE AND SECURE:  “thou dwellest securely . . . “ (verse 8)  is without doubt referring to the security we enjoy within our country.  We are blessed by having police and fire protection, to say nothing of well-trained and well-equipped armed forces.   Our public servants and military personnel are to be respected and thanked!

 

We have learned in recent years, however, that if the lights go out or if other disasters strike in our major cities, find a place to hide.  Total anarchy, even in a country of well established laws and enforcement, is only a step away.

 

52.      NO SORROW:  “ . . . thou sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me;  I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.”  Despite our losses in previous wars and even the war against terrorism, we have never known the heartbreaking loss of an entire army trying to defend our homeland. 

 

President Bush reported to the nation on December 12, 2005, that we have lost over 2,000 of our brave soldiers in the fight against international terrorism and to liberate Iraq.  At the same time, Iraq has experienced the loss of over 30,000 of their people in the war against tyranny and terrorism.  We have not known such heart-wrenching losses since World War 2, nor have we experienced the horrors of an enemy invasion.

 

God pronounced judgment on Babylon in verses 9-11.  Notice the reasons for coming judgment:

 

53.      BEWITCHED BY WITCHCRAFT:

“. . . for the multitude of thy sorceries and for the great   abundance of thine enchantments. . . “ (verse 9) 

 

The Hebrew word for “sorceries” is literally “magic and witchcraft”.  Americans have become totally enamored with the likes of Harry Potter.  The theme of witchcraft is also a major part of video games and children’s cartoons which are capturing the minds and imaginations of an entire generation. 

 

We have every reason to dread the future when we have abandoned  spiritual values and embraced the occult.  This is a very real problem on our school campuses where a growing number of students often dress in black and even wear black makeup as a symbol of their angry defiance and of the evil they openly embrace. 

 

Infatuation with spiritual darkness and wickedness should be a great cause for alarm.  Police officers will tell you that they are finding dead animals that have been mutilated and sacrificed in sadistic rituals.  When this “game” matures, will children be at risk?

 

54.      HIDDEN CRIME:  “For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me.” (verse 10)  White collar crime is growing at an alarming rate.  Computer theft where would-be criminals think they can hide their identity is becoming more and more commonplace. 

 

As I write I am listening to a television news report that sports fans seeking tickets to the Super Bowl are being stung on-line with pricy tickets that are bogus.  The warning?  Buy at your own risk!  Why?  Because crime is rampant.

 

Our prisons are filled to overflowing.  We have become a nation without a conscience!

 

27.      INTELLECTUALLY STUPID:  This description is similar to #27 so the number is repeated.  “Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.”  Knowledge without acknowledgement of God is the goal of our public schools and universities.  No wonder so many parents have opted for home-schooling.

 

Many parents were not aware until it was too late that their children had been negatively impacted by a Humanistic Worldview thrust upon them by liberal college professors.  These teachers take special delight in making shipwreck the Biblical faith of their students.    

 

55.      ATTACKED BY TERRORISM? 

“Therefore shall evil come upon thee;         thou    shalt not know from where it riseth, and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put if off, desolation shall come     upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.” (verse 11)

This passage could very well be a description of end-time terrorism.  We now have numerous enemy terrorist cells living amongst us eagerly awaiting the opportunity to wreak havoc.  When an attack comes, we will be confused as to who the real enemy is and where they came from. 

 

This verse even declares “thou shalt not be able to put it off, desolation shall come suddenly.”  Terrorism thrives on the unsuspecting and ill-prepared.  Our public leaders are even warning the public regarding future terrorists’ attacks – “It is a matter of “when, not if.”

 

56.      TALK, TALK, TALK: “Thou are wearied in the multitude of thy counsels.” (verse 13)  End-time Babylon will apparently be the peacemaker of the world.  Sometimes we all become weary of the unending rhetoric.  Wherever or whatever the crisis, America is right in the middle of it.  We know that we are the “defenders of freedom,” but sometimes it seems that America makes enemies by forcing ourselves into the center of every dispute.

 

57.      ASTROLOGY:         “Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.” (verse 13)  It may surprise many people that our military leaders consulted mediums and astrological charts in selecting attack dates for many of the battles of World War 2. 

 

To this day, horoscope readings and mediums play a major role in what many Americans do and when they do it.  In mockery, God challenges all these mediums to give direction for rescuing a nation now doomed to judgment.

 

58.      ABANDONED BY HER FRIENDS:   “Thus shall they

be unto thee with whom thou has labored, even thy merchants, from thy youth; they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.” (verse 15)  This prophecy shall be more fully developed as we consider the destruction of Babylon in a later chapter.  The prophets were   simply   declaring that all of the merchants that bring goods to Babylon, will abandon her when her day of calamity begins. 

It should be noted again, that of all the nations in the world,   America   is the largest consumer of products made all over the world. 

 

 

Revelation chapter 18:

 

Revelation chapter 18 in the last book of the Bible ties everything together.  The primary message of the prophecy relates to the horrible destruction of “Babylon the great” which takes place “in one hour”!  The very mention of “Babylon” is proof positive that the prophetic words of the ancient prophets regarding Babylon, are not yet all fulfilled.

 

59.      LUXURIES AND ABUNDANCE:  “ . . . the merchants of the earth are grown rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”  (verse 3)

 

Not only does this passage reinforce #58 above, that many foreign shippers and merchants will be trading with Babylon, this passage declares that they will “become rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”   “Delicacies” is better translated “luxuries” in Greek.  The merchants of the earth will become wealthy because of the luxurious life-style of the end-time Babylonians.

 

(35.) NATIONAL ARROGANCE:  “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived luxuriously . . . “ This prophetic utterance again expresses the great spirit of pride and arrogance that will be a dark shadow over Babylon.  She will boast of her great success and riches, not realizing that the God Who Provides is the One to whom all glory is due.  He will not share His glory with anyone.  Truly, “pride cometh before a fall.”

 

60.      OVERCONFIDENT: Babylon will be at rest in overconfidence when her people declare – “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.”  (verse 7)  This self-confident spirit that “nothing bad can ever happen here” will be suddenly upended.  “We can handle it” is the attitude of our entire nation even as we careen down an immoral and reckless path.

 

61.      THE MONEY MAKERS:  ”And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her, shall bewail her and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning . . . “ (verse 9)  The prophet declared that the “kings of the earth have committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her.”  This could be referring to the fact that America has made many nations and foreign leaders extremely wealthy. 

 

Our State Department holds great sway over the nations through our gifts and financial assistance programs.  Americans labor under an ever-increasing tax burden in order that our leaders can buy worldwide influence. 

 

62.      THE GREAT CITY: “ . . . Babylon, that mighty city . . . “ (verse10)  Just as London represents Britain, Paris represents France, and Moscow represents Russia, so the mere mention of a great city called “Babylon” will represent a huge and powerful end-time nation.  It undoubtedly represents a  huge city in  the end-time nation referred to as “Babylon”.  If, in fact, Babylon does represent the United States of America, and no one can say absolutely dogmatically that it does, one wonders if that great city is New York . . . or Washington?  Time will only tell which of the cities the prophet John had in mind. 

 

One thing is for certain, when the fires of God’s wrath and judgment fall upon end-time Babylon, many cities will be affected.  “I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.”  Jeremiah 50:32

 

63.      BROKEN HEARTED SALESMEN:  “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more . . . “ (verse 11)  What a reason to mourn – there is no one to buy their trinkets!  This is another prophetic statement that the merchants of the earth shall become rich through their business with end-time Babylon.  It is common knowledge that if the consumption of America stopped, the economy of the entire world would suddenly collapse. 

 

The point should be emphasized again – at the time of her destruction, end-time Babylon will be the greatest consumer of merchandise the world has ever seen.

 

64.  IMPORTS:  Revelation 18:12-13 presents an extensive list of the “merchandise” consumed by Babylon.  Examining that list of foreign-made products is quite revealing.  It includes items that America now imports in great abundance such as gold, silver, precious stones, fine linen, ivory, precious woods, spices, perfumes, wines, and even oil and iron.

 

With all of the natural resources found in the United States, it is amazing that we import anything.  But the price of labor has driven many American industries to either close or relocate their manufacturing shops in other countries, such as Mexico.

 

65.      IMPORTED IRON:  Years ago, the United States was the steel producer of the world.  Then steel companies like Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania and CFI in Colorado, and many others began to close.

 

Pictured above: A casting crew stands on the outside deck of Bethlehem Steel's last operating blast furnace on November 18, 1995, watching as the final batch of molten iron flows into a waiting submarine rail car.  This cast ended iron-making in Bethlehem after more than 100 years at the plant which employed more than 30,000 men and women during World War II.

 

Now, after numerous other steel plants have closed, steel is one of our  major  imports from Japan.  The Japanese are even huge importers of wood products as they buy raw materials from states like Alaska and turn it into profitable items like plywood.  When my wife and I visited Alaska several years ago, I was amazed at the number of Japanese ships being loaded with wood chips which would be formed into plywood products and later resold in America.

 

66.  OIL BY THE BILLIONS OF BARRELS:

 

One of America’s largest imports, of course, is oil.  In the early months of 2006, America was importing over 14 million barrels of refined products and another 10 million barrels   of   crude   oil each day. 

 

Our dependence upon foreign imports in the area of energy may one day become the breaking point of the American economy, and even of our national defense.

 

67.      CARS, CARS, CARS:  Of special interest is the end of Revelation 18:13 –   “ . . .        chariots, and slaves, and the souls of men.”

 

God apparently showed the Apostle John the massive numbers of cars and vehicles that would one day choke the roads of Babylon.    He called them “chariots” which was probably his only way of describing such strange vehicles. 

 

Even more significant than the number of vehicles in “Babylon,” is the fact that a huge number of these “chariots” would be manufactured and imported from other countries.  The

Apostle John prophesied that the merchants of the earth would grow wealthy from the vast number of products sold to “Babylon.” 

 

The automobile industry is a huge part of the American economy.  But more and more cars on the roads are imports and American auto workers face a very uncertain future.

 

The number of automobiles imported from Japan alone is absolutely staggering.  This has taken a toll, of course, on the auto giants of America as more and more imports are being manufactured and imported into the U.S.  Even American brand autos are being manufactured and assembled abroad.  Jobs are being lost in states like Michigan and are being taken abroad and “south of the border.”

 

 

68.  SLAVERY:  It is interesting that Revelation chapter 18 also mentions “slaves” in this list of items bought and sold.  One of the greatest blemishes to the testimony and reputation of our great land is the deplorable slave markets that once existed in America.

 

But this is also a present-day indictment upon Babylon for the purchasing and selling of human beings.  Daniel Weiss from Focus on the Family wrote a commentary entitled “Porn Feeds Human Trafficking”, published in the Denver Post, January 27, 2006 –

 

“Last week, President Bush signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, mandating the U.S. government and military expend greater efforts to combat the illegal practice of buying and selling human beings.”

 

“As the president said at the bill-signing ceremony, ‘Human trafficking is an offense against human dignity, a crime in which human beings, many of them teenagers and young children, are bought and sold and often sexually abused by violent criminals.  Our nation is determined to fight and end this modern form of slavery.’”

 

 “The extent of the trade in human flesh is staggering.  The U.S. Agency for International Development estimates that as many a 4 million people across the globe are bought and sold each year.  Just within the United States, as many as 50,000 people are trapped in sexual slavery at any given time.  This grim reality was again brought to light in a recent Toledo Blade series documenting how that city is a national trafficking hub for underage prostitution.”

 

 “The global tragedy hinges on the notion that human beings are commodities to be bought, sold, used and discarded.  If the president is truly serious about ending the global sex trade, he would do well to start at home by cleaning up one of its primary drivers: the explosive growth of illegal hardcore pornography.”

 

Weiss went on to add – “Hardcore pornography, or material depicting actual sex acts, promotes the idea that human beings can be sexually used and abused without consequences.  If we tolerate pornographic material that encourages people to indulge their darkest sexual fantasies, we cannot act surprised when millions do so in real life as well.  In this regard, the United States is the world’s worst violator.

 

Weiss also reported that, according to the Adult Video News, 11,000 new pornographic films are released every year in the United States and web pornography has grown from 14 million Web pages in 1998 to over 260 million in 2003.

 

The sale of innocent human beings continues in Babylon!  What a national disgrace.

 

CONCLUSION:  We have attempted to list all of the descriptions of end-time Babylon.  Such a list is not all inclusive but the reader gets the point.  According to the Prophets, Babylon will be a great end-time nation, a nation that influences the whole world and that nation is destined for destruction.

 

There is another source that should probably be added to the list.  It is found along with the words of judgment coming upon Gog of Magog (Russia).  I add the following to the list because I am convinced that the fire that falls upon Babylon will originate from the far north (more of that in chapter 4).  The destruction of Babylon and Russia may be at the same time, which I personally believe will occur immediately after the “rapture”, or God’s deliverance of born-again believers who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  These horrendous events appear to occur just prior to or at the beginning of the seven years of Tribulation know as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7.

 

Ezekiel chapter 39:

 

“And I will send a fire on Magog, and among those who dwell securely in the coastlands; and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

 

69.      MILITARY MIGHT:  “ . . . those who dwell securely . . . “  End-time Babylon will be a mighty military power.  To dwell securely means simply that the people have no fear of foreign invasion or distant armies.  This description certainly fits the United States.  No other nation on earth has such sophisticated weaponry and a well-trained military.

 

70.      BEYOND THE SEA:  “ . . . in the coastlands . . .”  This can be understood as “beyond the sea” or “farthest parts.”  The same Hebrew word is used in several interesting verses in conjunction with definitive locations - Jeremiah 25:22 – “ . . . the kings of the coasts which are beyond the sea . . . “

 

Isaiah 41:5 – “The coasts saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid . . . “

 

When destructive fires fall on Magog (Russia) they will apparently also descend upon the “coastlands” which is “beyond the sea” and at “the ends of the earth.” 

 

God does not provide such clear word pictures just to be ignored.  There is a reason that He wants us to know that judgment will one day fall quickly.  His purpose is not to cause terror, but to allow man to come into a proper relationship with Him.  Do you know Him personally as Redeemer and Lord?

 

Summary Overview:

It may be helpful, now that we have considered the major Biblical texts that describe end-time Babylon, to briefly summarize our findings:

 

 

 

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©2006 Discovery News / "Who is the strange nations described in the Bible as the end-time daughter of Babylon? Why is this richest and most powerful nation destroyed in one hours time?"