There is much speculation, supposition, and outright pontification on the matter of America being the Babylon of Revelation chapter 18. The theological seminary types whom I consider to be excellent scholars in correctly analyzing Bible prophecy, in most every case, come down on the side of the Babylon in Revelation 18 to be a literal, rebuilt Babylon where it once stood.
America, they might add, is a city-state type that fits within the Babylon system of rebellion that has plagued the world throughout human history. But the US is not that “Mystery Babylon” that will be destroyed in one hour at some point during the seven-year Tribulation.
I’m quite wishy-washy on this, because I don’t see where God’s Word absolutely states that it will be rebuilt in its original location. It is, after all, called “Mystery Babylon.” This makes it somewhat of an open question, so far as it being a literal Babylon, rebuilt in the literal, former location.
That said, I will state that things presented in God’s Word make it look like it most likely will be a city rebuilt in its geographical location on the plains of Shinar. I just can’t visualize it being rebuilt quickly enough—that is, completed as a great city-state and then becoming such a grandiose, powerful influence on all of the world’s commerce. I just can’t see this all taking place based upon the swiftness of prophetic progression at this moment.
Babylon’s ancient geographical location is almost totally nothing but desert. There is no sign of which I’ve heard that implies significant construction of any sort.
Saddam Hussein had a small project or two started there to reconstruct Babylon for a tourist attraction. But that, as I understand, is in great disrepair and never amounted to much in the first place. So if the Babylon of Revelation chapter 18 is to be the one of prophecy that will be destroyed in an hour or two—if the beginning of the Tribulation is to be sooner rather than later—somebody better get to building, and quickly.
And even if it is constructed almost overnight, as my good friend Dr. Mark Hitchcock has suggested in his book on Babylon, I, again, can’t visualize that city-state becoming the massive boon to all the world’s commerce within a short time.
Of course, there is always great leeway for miraculous activity, particularly as time is compressed during these last-days developments. This could happen. I’m just too dense in my imagination to see it happening in fewer than several decades, at a minimum.
Meantime, we look at the many Babylonian-like evils taking place in America and around the globe. The anti-God wickedness that is seen on the rise in every direction is appalling. The Lord’s patience is tremendous beyond all understanding, but is not infinite. That is, other generations have been judged—completely wiped out—with less evil and wickedness than this rebellious world manifests hourly.
America, in particular, exhibits ancient Babylonian-level blasphemy and bloodthirsty activity beyond that of the ancients. We have put into our law the right, even the demand, that nearly seventy million babies be murdered in their mother’s wombs. This sort of wickedness, alone, was a major cause of God bringing down ancient Babylon and other empires. We, as a culture and society, haven’t yet placed infants in the red-hot hands of an idol like Moloch, but we have allowed the unborn—and even those just born—to be sacrificed upon the alters of sexual convenience that amounts to worship of debauchery.
Satanic ritual, although disguised as art and/or entertainment, such as displayed during this year’s and previous Super Bowl halftimes, points to the Babylonian nature accepted by perhaps half of the American populace.
Many worship at the altar of commerce, exhibiting a materialistic bent that doubtless would have put ancient Babylonians to shame. This unprecedented worship of the riches of this world is made possible by the technologies that have been created—technologies not available to those past civilizations.
One such technological platform is, of course, Amazon. We had a neighbor who ordered things from Amazon and other sources, and the boxes just accumulated around the front and sides of her home. Some became concerned she was deceased or ill, but that wasn’t the case. She just ordered and ordered “stuff,” and never even took it into the house. The many, many packages stayed in the rain and through all other sorts of weather.
Now this smacks of a dementia, I’ll admit, but the sort of culture that promotes worship of material possessions likely exacerbates such proclivity to develop forms of dementia.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the following construction is in the offing.
Amazon has just unveiled the plans for its new corporate headquarters that will stand in Arlington, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington DC. The announcement inaccurately describes the design as a “double helix” but scholars of ancient history and the Bible will readily recognize the ancient model for the design: the Tower of Babel…
Helix Building: A “New Design With Mesopotamian Roots”
Construction on their second corporate headquarters is expected to begin next year and when completed in 2025 at a cost of $2.5 billion. It will include 2.8 million square feet of new office space distributed across three 22-story buildings. The location is less than four miles from the Capitol Building…
“The natural beauty of a double helix can be seen throughout our world, from the geometry of our own DNA to the elemental form of galaxies, weather patterns, pinecones, and seashells,” the company said. “The Helix at our Arlington headquarters will offer a variety of alternative work environments for Amazon employees amidst lush gardens and flourishing trees native to the region.”
Though it is true that DNA is arranged in a double-helix, the architectural design is not, in fact, a double helix that appears like a ladder that has been twisted into a corkscrew. The design of the building is, perhaps, a single helix with a spiral walkway ascending the exterior of the building. The architectural design of the Amazon building does, in fact, closely resemble that of a ziggurat, a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia. A ziggurat has the form of a terraced compound of successively receding stories or levels. (Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, “Amazon Reveals Plan to Build ‘Tower of Babel’ Opposite US Capital,” Feb 10, 2021, Biblical News)
While America might not be the Babylon of Revelation chapter 18, it sure more and more looks the part—up to and including the infamous tower that God brought crashing down for that people’s anti-God rebellion.
Continue to pray that things will change, but realize that the Lord must judge wickedness.
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)
The Lord of Heaven is not without complete awareness of His people having to contend with the wickedness all around them. This is why the following verse about that future Babylon of Revelation chapter 18. Perhaps it is a call we of this generation will soon hear from Heaven.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘’Come out of her, my people,” so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.